Judge dismisses pope from sex abuse case

Vatican City  A U.S. judge in Texas dismissed Pope Benedict XVI from a civil lawsuit accusing him of conspiracy to cover up the sexual abuse of minors by a seminarian, ruling Thursday that the pontiff has immunity as a head of state.

U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal cited a motion filed by the Justice Department, known as a "Suggestion of Immunity," in which the government said allowing the lawsuit to proceed would be "incompatible with the United States' foreign policy interests."

"After a suggestion of immunity is filed, it is the court's duty to surrender jurisdiction," Rosenthal wrote.

Joseph Ratzinger - Benedict's former name - is named as a defendant in the civil lawsuit, accused of conspiring with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and some of its officials to cover up the abuse of three boys during the mid-1990s. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages.

Attorneys for one of the alleged victims argued in the lawsuit that a May 18, 2001, letter Ratzinger wrote to bishops around the world was evidence that he was involved in a conspiracy to hide crimes and to help him escape prosecution.

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Comments

Vatican City is a soveriegn nation, and as such has certain rights and responsibilities. As such, the Pope could be considered the same as a king or something. As such, he could also be entitled to Diplomatic immunity. It is under this system that churches can occassionally be considered an asylum.

And it is a total cop out. The Queen Spider should come out as well. The Catholic church either needs to step up, or they need to back off. Because they are just allowing this abuse anymore.